NIGHT ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1942, Page 3

NIGHT ACTION

SUCCESSFUL NEW ZEALAND FORAY ITALIAN OUTPOST WRECKED. GUNS DESTROYED & PRISONERS TAKEN. (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) WESTERN DESERT, July 20. Grenades and tommy-guns wrecked an outpost of the Ariente Division in the southern sector of the El Alamein line last night, when a strong patrol of Hauraki and Auckland city men penetrated half a mile inside the Italian lines and destroyed one heavy gun, three light guns, four machine-guns and one car. Forty-two Bersaglieri recently flown to the African front were captured and numbers of others were wounded and killed. A heavy concentration of New Zealand artillery and Vickers guns covered the approach of the patrol in Bren carriers at dusk. Anti-tank guns accompanied the patrol and protected it against enemy tanks. Several miles from the New Zealand lines the patrol found an Italian minefield, cleared tracks for the carriers and infantry and advanced through the cross-fire of the defences. Led by a former Auckland Rugby representative and teacher from Whakatane, the patrol rushed the machineguns, hurling percussion grenades and firing tommy-guns. Section post after, section post was cleaned up, most of the occupants surrendering quickly. The engineers with explosives blew up guns in the area, the infantry with Mills grenades wrecking machineguns. Enemy tanks approached but the patrol, with the job finished, withdrew. Two of the carriers while retiring struck mines and were abandoned. Our infantry, with the prisoners they picked up, all reached their lines again at 10.15 p.m. One missing, two killed and two wounded were the only casualties. This morning, the patrol commander, another Auckland Rugby representative from Otahuhu, received this message from the corps commander: “Congratulations. It was a good show. Very useful information gained.” There was a keen discussion on lessons learnt, because for many men it was their first action.